The head of internal security in the Damascus countryside, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Dalati, announced on Friday that preliminary investigations into the cell involved in detonating two explosive devices in Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit showed that it belongs to the 'ISIS' organization.

Syrian security personnel inspect a burning car near the Four Seasons hotel as Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara met French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace in Damascus on Tuesday (AP).

The two simultaneous explosions, using two explosive devices—one inside a garbage container and the second inside a car parked on the roadside—targeted the vicinity of an upscale hotel where Macron spent the night during his unprecedented visit to Damascus. The two explosions resulted in the death of one person and injuries to 36 others, according to the Ministry of Health.

Al-Dalati told official Syrian television, 'Preliminary investigations with members of the cell involved in the Damascus bombings... showed their affiliation with the ISIS organization,' hours after the Interior Ministry announced the arrest of cell members during simultaneous raids in Damascus and its countryside.

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced in a post on the 'X' platform on Thursday night that 'the cell responsible for the terrorist bombings that targeted Damascus two days ago is now in our custody.'

The cell responsible for the terrorist bombings that targeted Damascus two days ago is now in our custody.

After completing the investigations, we will reveal to the public the identity of the cell members, their roles, and all their connections. pic.twitter.com/6aIRdPxvZJ

— Anas Hassan Khattab (@Anas_Khattab_sy) July 9, 2026

The Interior Ministry later stated in a statement that the cell members were arrested 'through a series of simultaneous raids that targeted their scattered locations in Damascus and its countryside, including Al-Qutayfah, Sayyidah Zaynab, Qudsiya suburb, and Ush al-Warwar.'

Al-Shara and Macron upon their arrival to attend a signing ceremony of an agreement in Damascus (AP)

The two explosions occurred after the French president's motorcade had left the hotel on its way to the presidential palace for expanded talks with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Shara.

The authorities pledged to arrest and hold accountable those involved. Al-Shara praised Macron's 'courage' in continuing his visit.

During the visit, Macron reiterated his support for the new authorities, stating that these attacks should not 'shake' Syria's stability.

The two explosions occurred on Tuesday, less than a week after ten people were killed in the detonation of an explosive device inside a cafe in Damascus, for which no group claimed responsibility.

The cafe explosion was the deadliest in Damascus since the suicide bombing inside a church in the Duwayl'a neighborhood in Damascus in June 2025, which killed 25 people, an attack claimed by an extremist group and attributed by authorities to the ISIS organization.

After the new authorities toppled President Bashar al-Assad's rule in December 2024, the organization urged its members to fight the new authorities.

The Syrian government announced late last year its official accession to the international coalition to fight the ISIS organization.